Frontispiece, from Les Petites Misères de la Guerre (The Little Miseries of War) 1636

Editor: Here we have Abraham Bosse’s “Frontispiece, from Les Petites Misères de la Guerre (The Little Miseries of War),” an etching and engraving from 1636. It’s currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm struck by how intricate the ornamental frame is, almost fighting for attention with the text it surrounds. How do you approach interpreting this particular image? Curator: It's crucial to address this piece on a formal level first. Note the clear separation between text and image, the typographical arrangement in relation to the swirling ornamentation, and the way line operates both descriptively in the frame and as pure mark-making to delineate form and create value. It functions as both a title page and an artwork unto itself. Do you perceive any tension in this duality? Editor: Yes, I think so. The frame almost overpowers the title, becoming the central element. Is that tension intentional? Curator: The arrangement could indeed signal the emerging importance of the visual over the purely textual. We might also consider how the style of ornamentation--the twisting, serpentine forms--contributes to the overall meaning. Note that their curvilinear features almost echo each other as if in a mirror reflection. Is this relationship significant? Editor: It gives the frontispiece a sense of symmetry and perhaps even implies a balanced argument or perspective within the series it introduces. Curator: Precisely. Bosse’s sophisticated play with form encourages us to consider the multiple layers of meaning embedded in even seemingly decorative elements, transforming the viewer into an active participant in constructing meaning through our careful analysis. Editor: I now see the relationship of symmetry as communicating the complexities and balancing different miseries in the art. Curator: It provides insight to Bosse’s print and how it encourages more in-depth interpretations.